Pretty incredible discrepancies listed here: http://gcaptain.com/ships-detained-ports-shameful/
Do any of your ships have discrepancies like those listed in that article? Let’s hear it…
I’ve seen some US ships that do have some of the above discrepancies, yet the USCG lets them sail on. Company bigwigs in bed with the high ups at the USCG is to blame. There are a few MMP contracted ships I won’t leave the dock on.
[QUOTE=SeaSick;83715]I’ve seen some US ships that do have some of the above discrepancies, yet the USCG lets them sail on. Company bigwigs in bed with the high ups at the USCG is to blame. There are a few MMP contracted ships I won’t leave the dock on.[/QUOTE]
Have you ever sailed with an outfit called “American Heavy Lift Shipping?” It was MMP, deck and engine and I think SIU. AHL went out of business several years ago…
I’ve heard outrageous stories about AHL which I will not post as I can not verify…
SeaSick, what are some specific issues you’re seeing?
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;83719]I’ve heard outrageous stories about AHL which I will not post as I can not verify…[/QUOTE]
Thanks SnG, let’s make sure this thread gets very specific, I don’t want this to turn into a unfounded bashing of ships and shipowners, and it does no good if it turns into that. So, if you have specifics of stuff that should be highlighted for corrective action, lets hear it.
Pretend that you’re talking directly to the shipowner… because guess what, there’s a really good chance you are right now.
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;83719]Have you ever sailed with an outfit called “American Heavy Lift Shipping?” It was MMP, deck and engine and I think SIU. AHL went out of business several years ago… I’ve heard outrageous stories about AHL which I will not post as I can not verify…[/QUOTE]
AHL was MMP top to bottom, licensed and unlicensed. A lot of AB’s used it as a stepping stone to get free schooling at MITAGS and a license.
I’ve heard some outrageous stories too, about some of the then permanent officers. Not going to name names or get into the stories as I still have to work with some of these people. I’m sure at least half of what you have heard is true.
I did one 90 day stint and was gone. It wasn’t the ships that bothered me as much as the attitude of some of the ‘upper management’. There were some good people there as well, and I did learn a lot, it wasn’t all bad.
[QUOTE=rob;83720]SeaSick, what are some specific issues you’re seeing?[/QUOTE]
Over the last few years, in no particular order, and on more than one ship, I’ve seen:
-
holed deck plating between the cargo hold tank top and ballast tank
-
lifeboats that take on water
-
ventilation dampers that are so warped and rusted they don’t close correctly
-
steel wastage where the life raft floor and lifting rings meet
I know there is more I’m forgetting…
[QUOTE=SeaSick;83804]AHL was MMP top to bottom, licensed and unlicensed. A lot of AB’s used it as a stepping stone to get free schooling at MITAGS and a license.
I’ve heard some outrageous stories too, about some of the then permanent officers. Not going to name names or get into the stories as I still have to work with some of these people. I’m sure at least half of what you have heard is true.
I did one 90 day stint and was gone. It wasn’t the ships that bothered me as much as the attitude of some of the ‘upper management’. There were some good people there as well, and I did learn a lot, it wasn’t all bad.
Over the last few years, in no particular order, and on more than one ship, I’ve seen:
-
holed deck plating between the cargo hold tank top and ballast tank
-
lifeboats that take on water
-
ventilation dampers that are so warped and rusted they don’t close correctly
-
steel wastage where the life raft floor and lifting rings meet
I know there is more I’m forgetting…[/QUOTE]
Thank you, my Thanks button is missing again.
I’ve heard most of the above and more.
Never could figure it out - why not do things correctly?
The answer, it may appear, is the owners wanted to milk all they could without wasting any money for repairs, dumping the ships after all the blood was drained.
I sailed as First on the SS Prudhoe Bay (a temp job, I was retired but accepted the offered non Union job and was cleared with the MEBA) bringing grain to a starving nation, North Korea, back in 2002.
The Prudhoe Bay was owned by Stickles.
A read:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2004/February/04_enrd_066.htm
Oh, man. I love it when I read articles like this and see names that I know. . . . .
I could tell some horror stories about ships that I surveyed while with ABS. One of the worst ones that I had to deal with was a Cypriot flagged bulker with all of the following (and I can’t remember them all, it was over 16 years ago).
- Rotten fire main on deck (inspection hammer got stuck in it).
- Doublers being fitted to main deck between cargo hatches due to holes from pitting (doublers are a big no no on any ship, even more so on bulk carriers, especially between cargo hatches).
- Fuel oil present in a double bottom ballast tank. It was opened for my inspection, however had too much water in it to crawl, and the water had fuel oil floating on it).
- Boat deck hand rails missing, replaced with ropes.
- One of three auxiliary diesels out of commision. All that was left was the bedplate and a large charred area above it.
- Fuel and lube oil leaks in engine room on machinery and piping, too numerous to list.
- All ventilation covers frozen open.
- Lower strake of transverse cargo hold bulkheads pitted, split and holed.
Too many others to remember off hand. The general living conditions were pathetic, too. No AC working, nor had it been for a long time. The Chief and Captain had window AC units fitted to the bulkheads of their quarters, with the compresser end out in the passageway. Both had been there so long that the deck inside the living quarters below them was severly wasted from the dripping of the condensate. . . .
I told them that all of the repairs (permanent) had to be carried out prior to their departure (they were already starting to load rice) and they told me that they couldn’t do it.
I requested the Class and other documents issued by Class under the Flag State authorities, however the Captain refused. Class was dropped, but picked up by another society and the ship sailed.
[QUOTE=cmakin;83814]Oh, man. I love it when I read articles like this and see names that I know.[/QUOTE]
I know and worked with several mentioned. They were good men but got squeezed by Stickles and his upper management.
I found it very sad - still do. I figured it was a strong possibility you knew them also. I have no idea what any of them are doing today but it is my wish they were able to recover and get their lives back on track.
[QUOTE=cmakin;83814]I could tell some horror stories about ships that I surveyed while with ABS. One of the worst ones that I had to deal with was a Cypriot flagged bulker with all of the following (and I can’t remember them all, it was over 16 years ago).
- Rotten fire main on deck (inspection hammer got stuck in it).
- Doublers being fitted to main deck between cargo hatches due to holes from pitting (doublers are a big no no on any ship, even more so on bulk carriers, especially between cargo hatches).
- Fuel oil present in a double bottom ballast tank. It was opened for my inspection, however had too much water in it to crawl, and the water had fuel oil floating on it).
- Boat deck hand rails missing, replaced with ropes.
- One of three auxiliary diesels out of commision. All that was left was the bedplate and a large charred area above it.
- Fuel and lube oil leaks in engine room on machinery and piping, too numerous to list.
- All ventilation covers frozen open.
- Lower strake of transverse cargo hold bulkheads pitted, split and holed.
Too many others to remember off hand. The general living conditions were pathetic, too. No AC working, nor had it been for a long time. The Chief and Captain had window AC units fitted to the bulkheads of their quarters, with the compresser end out in the passageway. Both had been there so long that the deck inside the living quarters below them was severly wasted from the dripping of the condensate. . . .
I told them that all of the repairs (permanent) had to be carried out prior to their departure (they were already starting to load rice) and they told me that they couldn’t do it.
I requested the Class and other documents issued by Class under the Flag State authorities, however the Captain refused. Class was dropped, but picked up by another society and the ship sailed.[/QUOTE]
DISGUSTING to the extreme !!
I hope a lot of members and guests are reading this post.
- Fire main cut at both ends so water does not get to the forward part of the ship and instead fills up void space, no one knows why we can;t get water forward for months!
- Hull plating rusted through at main deck level so water leaks accross galley floor every time the weather gets a little rough
- Lifeboat hooks that won;t release (took them 4-5 hours! to get them to work!)
- Lifeboat engines don;t run (broke down and could not be fixed in less than 20 mins underway)
- Punching holes through main deck while chipping, using redhand to repair
- Vent covers rusted so badly they couldn;t be moved.
- Anchor windlass out of service for years! (parts on order)
etc…
Why not do things properly? My take on this is that they keep on giving us more to do out there. There are no more hours in the day to do them in. There are no more crew members to do them with. Master and other officers who should be supervising to make sure things get done correctly have been given too many other things to do and so can no longer supervise the way they should. Things do not get done.
People in the office don;t usually come from a maritime background anymore. They don’t usually know what you are asking for and why its important. They are pressured to cut costs and save money. That is more important to them than what you are asking for.
Other priorities- paperwork (and all the things that go along with it) and auditing DO take up time. Time that used to be used for taking care of all the other things that need to be done. There is not more time in the day or more people to put on the job, so either we do paperwork properly or other things will get delayed or skimped on.